Gautham Vasudev Menon on directing Kamal Haasan and Mammootty: ‘The intimidation compels you to work better’

Starting off by explaining his onscreen homage to Kamal Haasan, Gautham told Galatta Plus, “My credits appear on the screen as he walks past it during the Karka Karka song as a tribute of sorts to him. Even in Dominic and the Ladies Purse, my name would appear during a similar scene with Mammootty sir. Also, I don’t see Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu as a fanboy film. Of course, there were few moments, which were elevated by Kamal sir’s nuances, but I won’t let the fanboy take over the scenario.”

However, Gautham Vasudev Menon candidly accepted that there is a sense of intimidation while working with the likes of Kamal Haasan and Mammootty. “Both with Kamal sir and Mammootty sir, there is a discussion about how I want a particular scene. In fact, even the intimidation only compels you to work better. I like that push. In fact, working with Kamal sir, and Venkatesh sir (Gharshanaa), kept me prepared for working with Mammootty sir,” said Gautham, who went on to explain how it was way different compared to working with actors like Silambarasan TR.

“In Dominic, I was ready with all the dialogues, and I kept my team completely aware of the shot divisions, etc… With Simbu, I like to take a bit more organic approach. But with Mammootty sir, I didn’t want to waste time. I wanted him to be aware that everything was going well,” said Gautham, who immediately quipped, “But yeah, it is not like a student trying to make the teacher happy.”

ALSO READ: Dominic and The Ladies Purse trailer: Mammootty, Gautham Vasudev Menon promise a high-octane blend of action, comedy and romance. Watch

Directed by Gautham and backed by Mammootty, Dominic and the Ladies Purse also stars Sushmitha Bhat, Gokul Suresh, and will hit theatres on January 23.